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New UNLV head football coach Barry Odom is reportedly hiring Bobby Petrino to serve as his offensive coordinator, according to Chris Low and Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.
Petrino has been Missouri State's head coach for the past three seasons, guiding the team to two FCS playoff appearances.
Petrino, 61, will bring a wealth of experience to Odom's staff. His previous stops included stints as the head coach at Louisville (2003-06, 2014-18), Arkansas (2008-11) and Western Kentucky (2013) at the collegiate level and the Atlanta Falcons for 13 games in the 2007 NFL season before quitting to take the Arkansas job.
He's gone 119-56 in his collegiate head coaching career but was just 3-10 in the NFL.
His time in coaching has not been without its controversies, however. Arkansas fired him in 2012 for misleading the school about an extramarital affair and a motorcycle accident he bad been in.
His second stint included the Lamar Jackson years, though Petrino was fired in 2018 after the team started just 2-8.
But his offensive prowess precedes him, and should make the UNLV attack dangerous.
"Having coached against him—the things they do on offense, the way his players are coached—it's phenomenal," Alabama head coach Nick Saban told ESPN this summer when speaking about Petrino. "... He's one of the toughest guys I've gone against."
New Louisville coach Jeff Brohm concurred.
"He could take a group of college students on an intramural team, put them out there on the field and help them win games," he said.
UNLV is undergoing a period of turnover after firing former head coach Marcus Arroyo, who went just 7-23 with the program. Former Arkansas defensive coordinator and Missouri head coach Odom was hired to the post on Dec. 6.
The expectation will be that Petrino has a nearly full run of the offense, given his experience.
San Jose State running back Camdan McWright died Friday after colliding with a school bus while riding an electric scooter. He was 18.
Austin Turner of the Mercury News reported McWright was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to ABC 7 Bay Area, the San Jose Police Department said none of the 14 students who were on the school bus were injured.
The accident is under investigation, although police said the bus had a green light and the right of way at the time of the accident. The university said in a statement it is "working cooperatively with the San Jose Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, SJSU University Police Department, SJSU Student Affairs and SJSU Athletics."
"We lost an amazing young man tragically this morning," head coach Brent Brennan said. "Camdan had a bright future ahead of him and everyone in this community that had the opportunity to spend time with him knew that. We are still trying to deal with the news of this tragedy, and appreciate everyone's support during these difficult times. Our thoughts and prayers are with the McWright family and I want them to know we are all here for them. Camdan will always be in our hearts and he will be profoundly missed."
McWright joined San Jose State as a 3-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He appeared in one game during the 2022 season and posted six yards on three carries in the Oct. 7 victory over UNLV.
The Spartans are 4-2 and scheduled to play at New Mexico State on Saturday.
Former Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan, who died in May 2021, was posthumously diagnosed with Stage 1 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, according to Brandon Sneed of Sports Illustrated.
CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by continuous blows to the head and is a major concern in the football community. Sneed reported Brennan's family donated his brain to Boston University's CTE Center since the disease can only be diagnosed postmortem.
While multiple brain injuries, including one from a 2010 car crash, and lost tissue due to the nature of his death after a drug overdose made it more difficult to examine his brain, Dr. Ann McKee, the director of the CTE Center, was still able to diagnose CTE and shared the news with Brennan's family on Thursday, per Sneed.
"It was enough to call CTE Stage I," McKee, who is a professor of neurology and pathology at Boston and the CTE Center director, said. "But it might've been greater had we been able to really assess other regions."
Sneed explained Brennan dealt with addiction following a 2010 car accident that eventually led to the end of his football career. While he found success at Tree House Recovery in Costa Mesa, Calif., he relapsed in May 2021 and was found unconscious and not breathing after a drug overdose.
He was in a coma and then died at the age of 37 from what the autopsy determined was the "combined toxic effects" of ethanol, methamphetamines, amphetamines and fentanyl.
Brennan was a prolific quarterback at Hawai'i and threw for an NCAA-record 58 touchdowns as a junior. He elected to return for his senior year and led the team to an undefeated regular season as a Heisman Trophy finalist—the school's first. He held 13 NCAA passing records at the end of his Rainbow Warriors career.
He was a sixth-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft but never appeared in a regular-season game at that level.
His family established the Colt Brennan Legacy Fund in Hawai'i after his death. The fund supports mental health causes and provides goods and services to people in Hawai'i.
University of Hawai'i head football coach Todd Graham announced his resignation Friday after two years leading the Rainbow Warriors program.
His decision comes just over a week after the Hawai'i State Senate held a meeting where former players raised concerns about the direction of the team under his leadership.
Graham released a statement about his departure, saying his family and health were the main reasons for the exit, not last week's Senate hearing:
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as the Head Football Coach at the University of Hawai'i for the past two seasons. After much prayer and reflection with my family, I have come to the conclusion that I will step away as head coach of the Rainbow Warriors, with a very heavy heart. I want to give my thanks and appreciation to the players, staff and coaches who persevered through all the challenges of 2020 and 2021. It wasn't easy, but they all fought the good fight and we did things the right way.
Our staff poured our hearts and souls into our players and truly made a difference in their lives. I could not have asked more of their commitment, work ethic and love for our players and football program. But it is clear to me that I must step away and do what is best for me and my family and my health. I honor, value and love all of my players and coaches and I wish you the very best. The University has not asked me to step down. I am leaving solely for my family and my health. We have laid a strong foundation for future success, and I will always be cheering you on!
Graham was hired in January 2020 after previous stints as the head coach at Rice, Tulsa, Pittsburgh and Arizona State. He compiled an 11-11 record across two seasons, highlighted by a win over Houston in the 2020 New Mexico Bowl.
UH athletic director David Matlin released a statement about the coach's resignation and the announcement noted the search for a new head coach will begin "immediately":
Todd informed me of his decision to resign. We enjoyed many successes under his leadership even as he faced pandemic conditions, the withdrawal of Aloha Stadium, and the prohibition of any fans for nearly all his time with us. Todd's tireless efforts as a coach have made a positive impact on many student-athletes. We have talked at length, and it is clear he has taken this action so that the football program can thrive moving forward.
Graham's status began to come into question in December when several players spoke out about his coaching tactics to Marc Delucchi of SFGate.
"I would go as far to say it's verbal abuse the way he talks to guys," one player said. "It's personal. It's not like, 'Oh, you need to be faster.' He's calling guys useless, jackass and a sack of s--t."
Another added: "Me and a lot of others can truthfully say Graham has killed our love and passion for football."
Those comments were followed by the State Senate meeting, where players who are no longer with the program provided a similar view of Graham's tactics, per Kyle Chinen of Hawaii News Now.
"I just don't see anything changing with this guy here," former defensive back Leonard Lee said. "He has a rejection of the culture and a lack of respect for players. I try to see the good in everybody and try to give people chances, but he's hands down the worst person I ever met in my life."
Despite the players' concerns, both Matlin and school president David Lassner expressed support during the meeting for Graham to remain the coach heading toward the 2022 season, per Chinen.
Instead, the program will now begin the process of trying to find Graham's replacement.
The Rainbow Warriors are scheduled to kick off the 2022 campaign Aug. 27 when they host Vanderbilt.
The 2021 Barstool Arizona Bowl has been canceled after Boise State withdrew due to COVID-19 issues within its program.
Central Michigan, who was scheduled to face Boise State in the Arizona Bowl will now face Washington State in the 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Friday.
Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey expressed his disappointment for the cancellation in a statement.
"We feel for the young men in our program who were very much looking forward to closing out their season, and for some, their football careers," Dickey said.
The Broncos ended their season with a 7-5 record and finished third in the Mountain West mountain division with a conference record of 5-3. Boise State's last game was a 27-16 loss to San Diego State, which had ended a four-game win streak.
As for Central Michigan, the team will now shift its attention to Washington State. The Cougars were without an opponent after Miami was forced to withdraw from the Sun Bowl on Sunday because of COVID-19 issues.
The Arizona Bowl is the fifth bowl game to be impacted by the recent COVID-19 outbreak that has been affecting the sports world. The Military Bowl and Fenway Bowl were both canceled. Texas A&M withdrew from the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest and was replaced by Rutgers.
Blake Anderson, the head football coach at Utah State, has apologized after making demeaning comments about sexual assault victims to his players during camp earlier this year.
“In the course of that conversation, I used a phrase regarding victims of wrongdoing to magnify that message to our team, but after reading my comments in the transcript that was released, I realize my choice of words was hurtful,” Anderson said in a statement, per the Associated Press. “I regret the words I used, and I apologize to anyone who has bravely come forward with allegations of wrongdoing.”
Anderson could be heard saying it “has never been more glamorized to be the victim” of sexual assault in a recording obtained by Courtney Tanner and Jessica Miller of The Salt Lake Tribune before Utah State's game against Oregon State on Saturday in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl.
The recording was mentioned in a lawsuit filed earlier this week by a female student who alleges Utah State "mishandled her sexual assault report involving a football player," per the AP.
In a separate recording obtained by theTribune, Utah State University police chief Earl Morris could be heard warning football players about having sex "with women who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because they might later feel regret and report it as nonconsensual."
Players "laughed and hollered in response to Morris’ comments," per Tanner and Miller.
Anderson is in his first season as head coach of the Aggies, who enter Saturday's game against Oregon State with a 10-3 record. He previously coached Arkansas State from 2014-20.
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer reportedly won't play a role in the selection of Colorado State's next head football coach.
Steven Godfrey of Secret Base reported Thursday that Colorado State will explore the use of search firms instead after firing head coach Steve Addazio.
Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic tweeted a screenshot of Colorado State's "action plan" regarding the school's last head coaching search prior to the 2020 season, and it was noted that Meyer would be working with the athletic director and team president to find a good fit:
Addazio, who was fired Thursday after going 4-12 in two seasons with the Rams, was an assistant under Meyer at Florida from 2005-10.
Following his time under Meyer at Florida, Addazio went 13-11 in two seasons as the head coach at Temple and 44-44 in seven seasons as the head coach at Boston College.
Colorado State went just 1-3 during the COVID-impacted 2020 season under Addazio before going 3-9 this season.
Meyer was out of coaching at the time he aided Colorado State in its head coaching search. He retired after the 2018 season following seven campaigns as the head coach at Ohio State from 2012-18.
Meyer has Colorado State ties, as he was a wide receivers coach at the school from 1990-95 before serving in the same role at Notre Dame from 1996-2000. He then took on head coaching gigs at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Ohio State.
The three-time national champion was lured out of retirement this offseason and hired by the Jaguars, marking his first NFL coaching job.
Despite landing quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, things haven't gone well for Meyer and the Jags this season, as they are one of the worst teams in the NFL with a 2-9 record.
Meanwhile, Colorado State is in the midst of a dry spell that will see it miss out on a bowl game for a fourth consecutive season.
The Rams have not finished with a winning record or played in a bowl game since 2017 under Mike Bobo. That season was part of a run that saw Colorado State reach its fifth straight bowl game.
BYU's dream start hit a speed bump on Saturday, as the Cougars were upset by unranked Boise State 26-17 for their first loss of the season.
The 10th-ranked Cougars dominated the stat sheet with a 413-312 advantage in total yards, but they committed four turnovers, including two in Boise State territory, that proved costly.
Broncos wide receiver Khalil Shakir caught five passes for 66 yards in the win. Their rushing attack racked up 140 yards and two touchdowns on 45 carries and allowed them to control the clock.
Saturday's win marks Boise State's first victory over a team ranked in the Associated Press Top 10 since the 2010 Fiesta Bowl against TCU.
BYU quarterback Jaren Hall did throw an interception on the team's final drive with under two minutes to play, but the first three turnovers came on poor execution.
Tyler Allgeier fumbled the ball away at BYU's 24-yard line midway through the second quarter with BYU leading 10-3.
Boise State needed just four plays to get into the end zone and tie the score. Cyrus Habibi-Likio capped off the drive with an 11-yard drive.
On the ensuing kickoff, Lopini Katoa lost possession of the ball and the Broncos recovered. The Broncos took a 17-10 lead five plays later on Andrew Van Buren's third-down score from one yard out.
Two field goals put Boise State up 23-10 midway through the third quarter. BYU seemed poised to at least get a field goal on its first possession of the second half, but Katoa fumbled again at the Broncos' 18-yard line.
Allgeier did get BYU within six points on a touchdown run with 7:27 remaining in the fourth quarter. Boise State's ensuing possession sealed the win thanks to Jonah Dalmas' 22-yard field goal.
Dalmas was put in position to even have a chance to kick the ball after Shakir caught a 35-yard pass with two defenders around him.
Boise State (3-3) has had an inconsistent start to the season. It did play Oklahoma State and Central Florida close, losing both games by a combined six points. Head coach Andy Avalos got his first marquee win in his sixth game leading the program.
BYU (5-1) fells from the ranks of the unbeaten, but there are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the program. It already has wins over Pac-12 teams Utah and Arizona State, the latter of which is currently ranked No. 22 in the AP Top 25.
TMZ Sports has reported that former University of Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan died of an accidental drug overdose last May.
An autopsy and toxicology report revealed that Brennan had fentanyl, methamphetamine, amphetamine and ethanol in his system, per TMZ Sports, which noted that it's unclear whether a doctor prescribed any of those drugs or if the 37-year-old took them on his own.
Brennan was in his fifth month of receiving treatment at a medical rehab facility in Southern California when he was rushed to a Newport Beach hospital for a medical emergency. He died the following day, on May 11.
Brennan's father, Terry Brennan, spoke with Stephen Tsai of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser following his son's passing.
"He was doing so well, the spark was back in his eyes, and he was healthy and doing great, and it happened," the elder Brennan said.
The former collegiate superstar broke 31 NCAA records during his time at Hawai'i. He also led the 2007 team to a 12-1 record and a Sugar Bowl appearance. Thanks to his efforts, Brennan also finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting.
The Colt Brennan Legacy Fund has been established in his honor.
Per its website, its purpose is to support University of Hawai‘i Athletics and youth sports "in addition to organizations that advocate and provide resources toward making a difference in the lives of individuals struggling with mental health and addiction issues."
